Memovox C7 Cutter on Ebay

[concretecowboy71]

http://cgi.ebay.com/200569800262

Presently at $9.99 with one bid. Three days to go.

[emorritt]

Interesting how they have a Wilcox-Gay Recordio blank on a dictation unit like a SoundScriber or a Gray 'Audograph'. Just won't work...

[blacknwhite]

Interesting how they have a Wilcox-Gay Recordio blank on a dictation unit like a SoundScriber or a Gray 'Audograph'. Just won't work...

Seems it should work, if restored... the unit has separate cutting & playback heads, and the cutterhead has a thumbscrew & cutting needle, just like the home disc cutters of the day...

[emorritt]

The "architecture" of the machine is almost exactly like a Soundscriber. I think the cutting stylus shown in the recorder is inappropriate; I have a packet of carbide embossing points from years ago that were meant to be used with plastic recording discs like those made by Hansa Plastics. They produced a red plastic disc with the same type of holes as in a lacquer of the day - the turntable hub on this unit looks like it works with a standard two-hole blank and not a square (Soundscriber) or 'star' shaped (Audograph) center hole. The photos are difficult to tell, but I'm guessing that when the cutter would be set on the disc in recording position, the short-shank stylus would be too long for a correct cutting angle. The embossing points I have are very, very short and will barely fit in an X-26 and still vibrate - the shank is bent and the flatside section (for the setscrew) is only about 1/4 inch long. The recording head in the ebay unit looks like what the embossers would work just fine in, as opposed to a standard disc cutting head. Also, the partially enclosed design of the turntable would make 'chasing chip' difficult at best.

[blacknwhite]

Ah, I just learned more about embossing machines than I ever knew before - interesting, thx.

[Angus McCarthy]

Also, the partially enclosed design of the turntable would make 'chasing chip' difficult at best.

I was thinking about that myself when looking through the pictures. Definitely the type of machine I would prefer to run stripped down for convenience.

[dinoclub]

Looks like I'll let you guys know...picked it up today... hopefully won't be too hard to find those missing tubes...

[Joost]

Great find!

A military version of this machine (called M1) was used by the crew of the Hiroshima airbomber in 1945 http://aafradio.org/countermeasures/recorders.html

I have one at home waiting to be restored, all the tubes are present so if you like i can give you the tube-types you need. I'm still looking for a good schematic for this machine .. did you happen to get it?

Cheers,
Joost

[dinoclub]

I have one at home waiting to be restored, all the tubes are present so if you like i can give you the tube-types you need. I'm still looking for a good schematic for this machine .. did you happen to get it?

I pm'd you but no response. Still haven't received the unit but I'll pass any schemes or info I get with it. Would love those tube numbers whenever you get a chance, pm me.

Thanks

[Joost]

Hi dinoclub,

Here they come (LTR): 6SJ7GT -- 6SJ7GT -- 6V6GT -- 6X5GT



And some more pics at: http://lathe.bd8.nl

[Joost]

hmmm.. looking at the ebay pictures again.. the one you got seems to be a little different; it has one tube extra so probably my tube line-up is not going to help you .
But looking very closely at the pictures it looks like the tube numbers are printed on the case (above each socket), just like mine has.

[dinoclub]

Thanks so much Joost for all the pics and stuff. I'll let you know how it goes...

[emorritt]

Here is a scan of an actual embossing stylus as made back in the day:



and an albeit fuzzy microscopic view of the tip:



You can barely see it, but there is a "line of demarcation" just below the dashed line in the photo where the carbide tip is inserted into the steel shank. As the first picture shows, they weren't very long at all. I bought these back in the 70's and they were being sold along with the box of 100 recording discs. I'm thinking this might be what was specifically made for plastic dictation blanks; I've never tried them on an aluminum embossing disc but I would assume they're probably the same thing as what was used prior to 1934 when the lacquer became available - just with a longer shank for the Audak and other heads used at the time. Carbide would tend to be long lasting when used with plastic discs and would be perfect for a dictation unit as opposed to a jewel point where one little mishap and you would have to replace a stylus in a very hard to get at place considering the design of this and other similar machines like the Audograph and SoundScriber. Peter King has the same idea, just not as long lasting since he's using plain steel phonograph needles.

Unfortunately I don't have any extras for sale, but they are still "out there".

[dinoclub]

I bought this off ebay, fitted it with all the proper tubes and a makeshift power supply. Powers up and spins. Audio jacks work and cats eye flickers with sound as well. Can't get the head to vibrate though, probably an easy fix but I don't have the time for it.

Asking $150 plus shipping to preferably the USA.

Check out all the pics on the ebay archived auction but its now fitted with the correct tubes and I'll include my DIY surge safe power jack.

http://cgi.ebay.com/200569800262 (click on FULL ITEM Description)

PM me with questions if you are interested.

Thanks